Black Girls Bonding

Black Girls Bonding went IRL for the first time, and this episode is the proof. Recorded live in front of a room full of Black women, no guest, just us, so the sound is a little different than usual, more room, more energy, more us talking back and forth. The heart of it is all still there. In this one: why heaviness and joy are both true for Black women right now, three things to hold onto to kee...

Kianti is coming in with fall on her mind and something that has been sitting with her — the realization that nobody really gave us permission to fully enjoy our lives. To rest without guilt. To want things without apology. To take up space without feeling like we have to earn it first. In this episode we talk about: Why Black women are constantly waiting for permission they were never given in th...

Picture this: summer 2017. Kianti has the idea for Black Girls Bonding. The show launches in 2023. Six years later. It didn't take six years to figure out how to make a podcast. It took six years to stop waiting to feel ready. In this episode, Kianti gets into the story she's never fully told — the anxiety, the isolation, the perfectionism, and the moment she realized she might be the pe...

She's back. And this time, she's keeping it. In this episode, Kianti gets raw about one of the most disorienting feelings an entrepreneur can have — losing yourself to the programming. After years in corporate spaces that quietly trained her to shrink, stay humble, and be grateful just for a seat at the table, she found herself carrying those habits straight into her business. And they w...

Kianti is coming in with good energy and a topic that is close to her heart — the women in our lives who hold us down in ways we don't always stop to appreciate. This one is personal, funny, and deeply moving in equal measure. In this episode we talk about: Why a woman married 40 years gave Kianti the best marriage advice she'd ever heard and it had nothing to do with her husband The thr...

Your Body Is Talking. Are You Listening? Kianti is back and this time she's on video for the very first time! She's nervous, she's excited, and she's coming in with a topic that is close to her heart and deeply important to the community of Black women she loves. In this episode we talk about: Why Black women have been conditioned to push through pain, illness, and exhaustion w...

In this episode, Kianti gets a little vulnerable about navigating an overwhelming season while still showing up and then does something she's never done before: brings her 20+ years of marketing expertise into the Black Girls Bonding space. In this episode we talk about: Why the best brands in the world obsess over controlling their narrative and what Nike and Apple can teach us about telling...

Let's be honest, most of us built our dream life in our heads when we were 12. Good job, big house, the husband, the kids, the whole checklist. But what happens when the life you're actually living doesn't match the one you mapped out before your frontal lobe was even fully developed? In this solo episode, Kianti gets real about the personal evolution that entrepreneurship forced he...

In this episode, Kianti gets real about something she almost didn't share — doubt. Not the kind that shows up once and leaves, but the kind that follows you into the gym, into your business, into every moment you try to level up. She talks about why doubt isn't something to wait out, but something to work with and how learning to let it fuel you instead of stop you is a daily, uncomforta...

She's back in the dating pool and she's not stressing about it. In this episode, Kianti sits down with her nearest and dearest, Whitney, for a candid conversation about navigating dating after divorce in 2026. Whitney opens up about her marriage, the moment "the mask came off," and how she rebuilt herself on the other side of one of life's hardest chapters. But this episod...

Black women have been visible for a long time. In culture. In labor. In struggle. In the room. And yet visibility alone has never been enough to guarantee protection, resources, or rest. In this episode, Kianti gets into it. A recent headline sparked a bigger conversation about what it actually costs Black women to choose themselves, and whether that choice is even equally available to all of us....

In this deeply affirming and honest conversation, Kianti sits down with Dr. Nikki,  licensed psychologist, published scholar, and unapologetic advocate for Black women's well-being, to talk about what it really costs high-achieving Black women to keep showing up for everyone but themselves. Dr. Nikki opens up about her own winding path: from university professor to getting tenure at the Unive...

This week’s episode was inspired by a podcast episode I heard with poet Ross Gay , who shared how he intentionally looks for small daily delights and writes them down. That idea stuck and sparked a bigger reflection about how easy it is to train our minds to find what’s wrong instead of what’s good. In this solo episode of Black Girls Bonding , we talk about:  How our brains can become wired to sc...

Atlanta is having one of those “fake spring” weeks. Warm sunshine one day, cold temperatures the next. It feels like the weather is faking us out. That idea ended up becoming the perfect metaphor for this season of life. In this episode, I’m reflecting on what it means to sit in the meantime. That period where things are moving, but maybe not as quickly or as smoothly as you hoped. Over the past f...

Most of us have been told that growth requires discomfort. Intellectually, we get that. We nod along. We agree. Emotionally? It hits different. In this episode, I share a moment that stopped me in my tracks while I was on my treadmill, huffing through an incline workout. When my instructor said, “If you’re comfortable, increase your speed,” it felt like she was talking about more than fitness. I’v...

In this episode, host Kianti sits down with her homegirl, Carline Hooker, the "saleswoman extraordinaire" and founder of NetworkIt. Carline brings 14 years of marriage experience (and 17 years of partnership) to the table for a conversation that moves past the "Instagrammable" version of relationships and into the "real deal Holyfield" truth. Whether you are single, d...

It’s been a minute, but I’m back and easing into the year with intention. In this episode, I’m talking about why I’m rejecting “strong starts” and choosing a softer beginning to the year instead. I reflect on last year as my first full year in business, what it meant to simply be profitable, cared for, and steady, and why that deserves celebration. We talk about seasonal energy, rest, and why wint...

In this the last episode of 2025 and as we roll into the end of the year, I want to offer something different. No “end the year strong.” No “grind ‘til the last minute.” I’m over it, and I know a lot of y’all are too. In this freestyle episode, I’m talking about what it looks like to close the year softly with intention, gentleness, and care. I share the three things I’m doing to wrap 2025 in a wa...

In this week’s episode of Black Girls Bonding , I’m talking about something I never expected to record an episode on: what it means to reparent yourself, to care for the little girl you once were. I share a very personal part of my story, including my journey through infertility, the deep grief that followed, and how I slowly found my way back to myself with the support of therapy and a whole lot...

In this episode, Kianti talks about the importance of holding on to hope, especially when the world feels unpredictable. Inspired by the recent Democratic wins across the country, she reflects on what it means to celebrate progress without bracing for the next blow. As someone who’s used to waiting for the other shoe to drop, Kianti shares her journey of learning to rewire her brain to stay presen...

Some fights are worth it. Others? They’re invitations to let go. In this week’s episode of Black Girls Bonding , I’m reflecting on one of life’s hardest lessons: learning when to push and when to surrender. After weeks of wrestling with QuickBooks, the IRS, and my own stubbornness, I hit a wall and finally heard that quiet voice telling me: let it go. This episode is about that moment. The one whe...

Things are heavy right now. In this short and heartfelt episode, I’m talking about what it feels like to live in a world that’s constantly demanding our attention, energy, and empathy — and what we can do to protect our peace in the midst of it. I share three simple, powerful practices that always help me find my footing again:  💛 Find community – you’re not meant to carry it all alone. 🖤 Unplug...

This week on Black Girls Bonding , I’m asking a simple but heavy question: Are we okay? Lately, I’ve noticed so much vitriol online. Yes, the internet has always had its share of negativity, but lately it feels sharper—especially toward Black women. From journalists like Karen Attiah being punished for telling the truth, to Jemele Hill being publicly attacked, to hundreds of thousands of Black wom...

This week, I’m talking about those moments when life feels heavy: grief, overwhelm, and the urge to retreat into isolation. I share how a conversation with my best friend shifted my perspective: maybe the Universe isn’t working against me, but actually working for me. In this episode, I get into:  ✨ Why isolating when you’re down can be harmful (yes, the science backs this up)  ✨ How community,...

This week, we’re breaking down the Love Island Reunion , and whew… there was mess . From Amaya laughing through cheating rumors to Chris standing on biz, to Olandria serving tea and Huda proving (again) that she’s the clout-chasing villain of the season — I have thoughts. We’ll talk fake apologies, mean-girl alliances, why America really hates to see Black women loved out loud, and how Huda’s “all...